Catherine Addison-Swan, a senior affiliates writer, never goes on summer holidays without a good pair of headphones. She has used her Anker Soundcore P20i Wireless Earbuds almost every day for the last two years, after buying them in the summer of 2024.
Her previous cheap wired earbuds had packed in, and she decided to upgrade to a wireless pair without spending a small fortune on something small enough to lose easily. Spotting the P20i on Amazon for less than £20 - they are currently priced at £19.99 - and seeing thousands of five-star reviews from fellow shoppers, she expected a decent budget-friendly option for her holiday. When they arrived, the quality was so impressive that she went back to Amazon to check she had not accidentally ordered a £100 pair.
Sound quality and comfort
Two years on, the earbuds are still performing as well as the day she first wore them. The sound quality is second-to-none, with no muffled or tinny notes in sight, even when she turns the volume up as loud as it will go. The crystal-clear output, she says, has given her a fresh appreciation for all her favourite songs.
There is practically zero sound leakage, which makes them perfect for travel or public spaces. On the other side, they excel at blocking out external noise too. Their comfortable, secure fit ensures they shut out surrounding sounds almost entirely, allowing her to become completely immersed in music, podcasts or audiobooks. In fact, the fit is so effective that she even uses them as earplugs on occasion, and they remain secure and comfortable for hours without needing any readjustment.
The earbuds come with a matching charging case available in a range of colours. Together with the case, they offer a battery life of up to 30 hours, making them ideal for travelling.
Compared with premium brands
Before buying, Addison-Swan was curious whether premium brands such as Apple and Bose were worth their price tags. She tried a couple of pairs owned by friends, including Apple AirPods, but found they felt awkward in her ears - and comfort was non-negotiable considering their price, with the newest AirPods 4 starting at £119.
She also tried over-ear headphones, borrowing a pair of Bose QuietComfort Headphones from a family member. But she felt she could not justify that £230 price tag, and ended up being more impressed with the sound from her Anker Soundcore pair.
Minor drawbacks
The P20i are not completely perfect. While the charging case is sleek and stylish, the lack of an LED battery indicator - a feature found on other budget-friendly wireless earbuds - is a design oversight. Without it, there is no way to know when a charge is needed until the earbuds themselves give a low battery alert, though the long battery life means this is not an issue that crops up often.
The built-in microphone is another element that could improve. While it is just about adequate for handling calls, sound quality can be rather muffled, and when outdoors, ambient noise such as wind or passing vehicles can make it difficult for the person on the other end to hear clearly.
Despite these flaws, Addison-Swan says she genuinely still favours her £20 pair after testing far pricier models, and notes that she could purchase several replacements for the cost of one pair of Apple AirPods.
